Ibsen A Doll's House

Sheffield Theatres version
ISBN: 978-1-78850-845-2
Verlag: Nick Hern Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 104 Seiten

Reihe: NHB Classic Plays

'Nobody in this house knows what I'm capable of.' With a comfortable home, successful husband and two beautiful children, Nora Helmer is the envy of many. But her happy home is built on false foundations. As long-buried secrets begin to surface, Nora wonders if what she has is the same as what she wants. Chris Bush's taut and gripping adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play is a powerful exploration of friendship, betrayal, dependency and liberation. It premiered at the Crucible, Sheffield Theatres, in 2024, directed by Elin Schofield.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. His plays include: Brand, Peer Gynt, A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Hedda Gabler, Rosmersholm, The Master Builder, Little Eyolf, John Gabriel Borkman and When We Dead Awaken.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ibsen, Henrik

Leseproben

ACT ONE

ANNA

NORA () Anna! Anna!

ANNA NORA

Didn’t you hear me shouting?

ANNA. Sorry.

NORA. Scrabbling at my own door.

ANNA. Let me take those.

NORA. There’s a tree downstairs.

ANNA. I’m sorry?

NORA. A Christmas tree – the man wouldn’t carry it any further than the lobby.

ANNA. Oh.

NORA () So will you go and bring it in?

ANNA. Yes, ma’am.

NORA. But hide it away somewhere – the children aren’t to see it until tonight, not until it’s decorated.

ANNA. Of course.

NORA. What were you teaching them?

ANNA. I wasn’t – I was just playing for myself, sorry.

NORA. Oh.

ANNA. They’re in the nursery – I only left them for a minute. They’re excited to see you.

NORA. Yes, yes. I’ll go through to them, as soon as I’ve caught my breath.

NORA

TORVALD () Is that my songbird home?

NORA () Yes, my love!

ANNA. I’ll fetch the tree in now.

NORA () Here, take these. () No, I’ll hide them. Go on.

ANNA NORA TORVALD

TORVALD. There’s my squirrel.

NORA. Here I am.

TORVALD. And when did squirrel get home?

NORA. Just this second. () Have you been working hard?

TORVALD. Trying to. I missed you.

NORA. I missed you too. Do you want to see what I bought?

TORVALD () All this?

NORA. A very industrious squirrel.

TORVALD. Squirrels for winter – famously – they don’t fritter away all their husband’s money on… what even is all this?

NORA. We can afford it. () We can! Our first holidays together where we haven’t had to count every penny.

TORVALD. Yes, but –

NORA. Now Mr Squirrel has his big important new job –

TORVALD. Which I don’t start until the new year –

NORA. I know –

TORVALD. And won’t get paid until the end of the quarter.

NORA. So we can borrow until then.

TORVALD. It isn’t… Suppose we borrowed a thousand crowns today, you spent it all over the holidays, and then on New Year’s Eve I was struck by lightning –

NORA. Torvald –

TORVALD. Or a tile blew off the roof and decapitated me.

NORA. Stop it.

TORVALD. Or I threw myself into the ocean and I was never seen again. What then?

NORA

NORA () Don’t say that, please.

TORVALD. I only –

NORA. Don’t ever say that. Especially not on Christmas Eve.

TORVALD. I just mean if anything were to happen to me –

NORA. Then what difference would a thousand crowns make to anything?

TORVALD. Quite the difference!

NORA. Not to me.

TORVALD. No, but to the debt collectors –

NORA. Oh, let them hang. If anything were to happen to you –

TORVALD. I’m not… I’m fine.

NORA. Promise?

TORVALD. I promise.

NORA. Good. And we’ll pay someone to come and check all the roof tiles.

TORVALD () You’re ridiculous.

NORA. Why?

TORVALD. I’m just trying to… One of us has to be the grown-up.

NORA. Yes, Mr Squirrel.

TORVALD. No borrowing, no lines of credit, no debts however small. As soon as you’re indebted to anyone your life is no longer your own. () Oh, what a sullen little squirrel she is now! Do you think I’m an ogre?

NORA. No.

TORVALD. You’re sure?

NORA. I’m only trying to make things as you like them. () Here I am, out in the snow, freezing my whiskers, all to please you, and –

TORVALD. I know. Here – this will cheer you up.

NORA () For me?

TORVALD. For Christmas – for the household – for… whatever you think I’ll enjoy.

NORA. Thank you. () Oh, I can make this last a good while.

TORVALD. Good.

NORA. Now, do you want to see the little suit I’ve got for Ivor? And a wooden sword as well – look how well it’s made! A doll and a cradle for Emmy. I need to find something for Anna too. Money, I suppose, is all staff ever want. A darling shawl for your sister. Books for your father, to make him feel clever –

TORVALD () And what’s in here?

NORA () A secret.

TORVALD. I see. And what have you picked out for yourself?

NORA. Oh, I don’t need anything.

TORVALD. Rubbish.

NORA. I’ll make do.

TORVALD. Don’t play the martyr, just tell me.

NORA. Fine. But don’t be cross with me.

TORVALD. Why – what is it?

NORA. Because if you’re really asking… () Maybe you could just give me money – nothing ridiculous, just whatever you felt was… And I know, I know you’ll say it isn’t very romantic, but then I could choose something for myself later –

TORVALD. Nora –

NORA. You could tie up the notes in gold ribbons and hang them off the tree – if you wanted to make a real gift of it.

TORVALD. That’s what you really want? What your heart truly desires?

NORA. I’m being very sensible, actually, if you think about it. Very grown-up. Instead of having you buy me something I don’t really need –

TORVALD. But what would you buy yourself? I know what’d happen – you’d burn through it all in a week and still end up with nothing to show for it.

NORA. No –

TORVALD. Yes! And then come to me again, cap in hand –

NORA. I would not.

TORVALD () You would! You always do! Money in your hands, it’s like… like handing Ivor an ice cream in the middle of summer. I turn my back for one second and it just melts away before your eyes.

NORA. That’s not fair. It’s not true. I’m just as careful as I can be.

TORVALD. As you can be, yes.

NORA. You don’t know what it costs to run this home. You don’t know what expenses we squirrels and songbirds have.

TORVALD. Yes, little bird. () Oh! Oh yes, that’s it – you’re a magpie! You’re just drawn to shiny things – it’s a compulsion – out of your control.

NORA. No!

TORVALD. You get that from your father, you know – God rest his soul.

NORA. I wish I’d inherited more from him.

TORVALD. I wouldn’t have you anything other than what you are. Don’t pout.

NORA. I’m not pouting.

TORVALD. You are.

NORA. Don’t give me anything at all then – not a penny – as I first asked.

TORVALD. Nora – look at me – Nora –

I wasn’t… () Oh, now hold on – what’s this?

NORA. What?

TORVALD. What do you have there? Could it be a little…? () As I suspected.

NORA. What’re you doing?

TORVALD. Your kisses are even sweeter than normal, my love.

NORA. No –

TORVALD. No? Not a little powdered sugar then? Someone hasn’t been buying herself gifts after all?

NORA. Don’t pick on me.

TORVALD. What was it? () A little nougat? () A little Turkish delight? No – I’ve got it – a bag of macarons!

NORA. Fine, you caught me.

TORVALD. Where are they? Hand over the contraband!

Aha! I knew it! So these are what my little squirrel stuffs her cheeks with to see her through the winter. Open wide.

NORA. Don’t!

TORVALD. Come on, baby bird.

NORA. Fine!

TORVALD. And another.

NORA. No!

TORVALD. I want to see how many I can fit in there.

NORA () Torvald!

TORVALD. What an enormous mouth you have! I think we can do the whole bag.

TORVALD NORA NORA TORVALD

NORA. Stop...